Game News Risen 2 -- preorder to get the full game

[Metro]

To mock people for overreacting because of the removal of climbing (and possibly jumping) is to say there is no difference between the world design of Gothic 1/2 and Mass Effect. Which seems the more irrational position?

 

[SCO]

Lol. Another game i will not buy.

 

[Hobo Elf]

Goddamn what is PB doing. I was really looking forward to Risen 2, but they just keep shitting on it more and more.

 

[ghostdog]

Fuck you PB.

 

[commie]

PB wants to copy the success of Arcania it seems.

 

[Black]

Risen 1- Gothic spiritual successor
Risen 2- Arcania spiritual successor

 

[commie]

THIS IS ARCANIA ALL OVER AGAIN

The 'Arcania' insult should not be thrown around lightly. As devolved as Risen 2 is looking to be I would almost guarantee it won't be as bad as Arcania. Yes, I made the mistake of playing through around half of Arcania... it's not just the design that's bad it is literally EVERYTHING from character development to the engine to world design to monsters to quests to dialog... probably one of the few games I played that was so appallingly bad I couldn't force myself to go on.

That said, I'm not going to make excuses for PB on this one. Risen 2 just went from almost certain preorder to almost certainly wait for a 75% off sale for me.

Well it's still a long time to go until the release of this game and with every news item it's becoming more and more like Arcania(cut off areas until you're prepared, simplified mechanics, no 'hard' spots, no swimming or climbing) so it's likely to become the spiritual successor to that classic yet. Seems that they are willingly making exactly the same mistakes as Spellbound/Jewood were making in order to 'reach the masses'.

The masses don't give a shit about Gothic/Risen and they never did so trying to cater for them is a pointless exercise from the start. This shit will though alienate the smaller though faithful band of real fans.

 

[Kraszu]

Well it's still a long time to go until the release of this game and with every news item it's becoming more and more like Arcania

PB has nothing to do with Arcania so it is unfair to somehow use it to bash them.

(cut off areas until you're prepared, no 'hard' spots,

That isn't true based on what they had said said, you will be constrained at the begging of the game but then the world will be open. That is only true for tutorial area.

 

[villain of the story]

So then what, they will use level scaling?

 

[villain of the story]

Maybe VD can get Notch to fund AoD too. Now with QTE cutscenes.

AoD already has QTE: Quality Text Events

 

[curry]

Goddamn what is PB doing. I was really looking forward to Risen 2, but they just keep shitting on it more and more.

My thoughts exactly

 

[Vault Dweller]

That isn't true based on what they had said said, you will be constrained at the begging of the game but then the world will be open. That is only true for tutorial area.

Read between the lines:

"This [going with the island structure] was a very cool thing in terms of storytelling because in Risen 1 the feedback was that it was very predictable, because you were on one island and you could go anywhere from the beginning, and people did!

They’d explore everything they could, and would be in regions they weren’t supposed to be and then suddenly later on they came to the region for a quest and be like ‘ah OK, that is why I’m now here’ but there was nothing new to explore."

Not. Supposed. To Be.

Other than that, there are 3 reasons for a developer to go with an island/small hubs structure:
- console-friendly, especially since each island is 70-80% of the Risen island, which was fairly small.
- the atmosphere of traveling/sailing to not so far away lands - not in the game, sadly
- to limit where you can go (if you could actually sail, it would be harder to pull off, but it's easy if all you do is click on a destination)

 

[Darth Roxor]

PB has nothing to do with Arcania so it is unfair to somehow use it to bash them.

PB is not being bashed for having anything to do with Arcania. PB is being bashed for repeating the same goddamn mistake Arcania did. A dumbed down console 'Gothic' for the masses does not work, simply because the casual masses don't give a flying fuck about Gothic, as it was stated above. At best, it will be given '7/10's all around, with IGN saying it's 'sort of cool in a pirate-adventure way, but not as MAJESTIC!!!! as Skyrim'. Mark my words.

 

[Kraszu]

That isn't true based on what they had said said, you will be constrained at the begging of the game but then the world will be open. That is only true for tutorial area.

Read between the lines:

"This [going with the island structure] was a very cool thing in terms of storytelling because in Risen 1 the feedback was that it was very predictable, because you were on one island and you could go anywhere from the beginning, and people did!

They’d explore everything they could, and would be in regions they weren’t supposed to be and then suddenly later on they came to the region for a quest and be like ‘ah OK, that is why I’m now here’ but there was nothing new to explore."

Not. Supposed. To Be.

http://www.vg247.com/2011/11/16/risen-2s-islands-create-structure/

“We used the islands to put certain structures in place. At the start, players are told to go to island A, and Island B – then suddenly, you get your ship, and you can get to island C, D, E anf F in any order.”

Also give links.

Other than that, there are 3 reasons for a developer to go with an island/small hubs structure:
- console-friendly, especially since each island is 70-80% of the Risen island, which was fairly small.
- the atmosphere of traveling/sailing to not so far away lands - not in the game, sadly

Or because of low amount or RAM. They engine have problems with that, and they don't want loading screens when you enter somewhere.

- to limit where you can go (if you could actually sail, it would be harder to pull off, but it's easy if all you do is click on a destination)

At the start, players are told to go to island A, and Island B – then suddenly, you get your ship, and you can get to island C, D, E anf F in any order.

 

[Kraszu]

PB has nothing to do with Arcania so it is unfair to somehow use it to bash them.

PB is not being bashed for having anything to do with Arcania. PB is being bashed for repeating the same goddamn mistake Arcania did. A dumbed down console 'Gothic' for the masses does not work, simply because the casual masses don't give a flying fuck about Gothic, as it was stated above. At best, it will be given '7/10's all around, with IGN saying it's 'sort of cool in a pirate-adventure way, but not as MAJESTIC!!!! as Skyrim'. Mark my words.

The game isn't out yet, and the info can be interpret in multiple ways (other then jumping but I didn't see any source for that), just because Arcania was what it was it doesn't mean that PB wants to do Arcania Tropicana, different developer, and publisher, also everybody knows that Arcania had failed financially. I have my doubts about the game but I don't know if it will be simplified shit yet.

 

[Vault Dweller]

“We used the islands to put certain structures in place. At the start, players are told to go to island A, and Island B – then suddenly, you get your ship, and you can get to island C, D, E anf F in any order.”

Would be good if true, but I see it as a restrictive design.

Also give links.

http://www.gaminglives.com/2011/07/04/risen-2-dark-waters-e3-preview/
Scroll down to the interview with the publisher. Granted, maybe the publisher doesn't have a clue, but I'm under the impression that DS is calling the shots on this one.

Or because of low amount or RAM. They engine have problems with that, and they don't want loading screens when you enter somewhere.

The publisher cited that the island in Risen was too big for consoles, so I see that as the main reason.

 

[curry]

Why don't you go and finish your own sad vapourware instead of spending the whole day whining about Risen 2?

 

[Kraszu]

Or because of low amount or RAM. They engine have problems with that, and they don't want loading screens when you enter somewhere.

The publisher cited that the island in Risen was too big for consoles, so I see that as the main reason.

How is that different then what I had said? Consoles have less RAM then PC. Risen port was graphically butched because of that.

 

[Vault Dweller]

... different developer, and publisher...

Who stated openly that the goal is to sell 1,000,000 copies. Like I said before, you don't just make such statements and hope for the best. You do your best to make the game more appealing to a wider audience.

... also everybody knows that Arcania had failed financially.

Doesn't stop them from trying, does it?

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Why don't you go and finish your own sad vapourware instead of spending the whole day whining about Risen 2?

 

[Vault Dweller]

Curry I understand. The boy was always a dumb cunt who's never posted anything worth reading. But you, Morgoth? Surely, you're more than capable of having an intelligent discussion?

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

There's no point in having an intelligent discussion with you VD if you're not willing to budge 1 mm.

What's the big deal with Risen 2? Yes, they had to keep console design in mind (3 smaller islands instead of one big, controller-orientated controls, no jumping(!), etc), I don't see how this is detrimental to the game itself. The NPC interaction, world design, factions etc is still gonna be of usual PB quality.

 

[Captain Shrek]

All I want. ALL. I. WANT. is a Mount and Blade game with overland travel on fully implemented real maps of Skyrim quality with DMOMM combat mechanic. Why the fuck? WHY.THE.FUCK. is nobody making that?

 

[Vault Dweller]

There's no point in having an intelligent discussion with you VD if you're not willing to budge 1 mm.

What exactly do you mean? I gave Kraszu a very specific quote, he gave me another very specific quote. The quotes contradict each other. As as fan of PB's previous work, I hope that Kraszu's quote reflects the true state of the game and that it will be more like Gothic 2 and less like Gothic 4.

What's the big deal with Risen 2? Yes, they had to keep console design in mind (3 smaller islands instead of one big, controller-orientated controls, no jumping(!), etc), I don't see how this is detrimental to the game itself. The NPC interaction, world design, factions etc is still gonna be of usual PB quality.

By the looks of it, they had to do a lot more than to keep the console design in mind, but if this discussion upsets you we can wait until the game is out.

 

[commie]

Well it's still a long time to go until the release of this game and with every news item it's becoming more and more like Arcania

PB has nothing to do with Arcania so it is unfair to somehow use it to bash them.

Why isn't it fair to complain that they are doing this? Other companies don't get a free ride because they dumb down their games based on what other developers do.

(cut off areas until you're prepared, no 'hard' spots,

That isn't true based on what they had said said, you will be constrained at the begging of the game but then the world will be open. That is only true for tutorial area.

They also said there wouldn't be any crappy DLC unless it would be EPIC in scope. With islands I expect each subsequent island to be only accessible after you do certain things or amass enough loot for the trip.

What's the big deal with Risen 2? Yes, they had to keep console design in mind (3 smaller islands instead of one big, controller-orientated controls, no jumping(!), etc), I don't see how this is detrimental to the game itself. The NPC interaction, world design, factions etc is still gonna be of usual PB quality.

What if it's initial Gothic 3 quality?


2012 is a LOONG time away, and with every update having more derpy things in it then why should anyone be optimistic?